Michigan Notes

[ce929wax]

I have seen new M-43 reassurance markers along M-89 in Plainwell.  However, it is not acknowledged yet on the US 131 BGS on M-89.

[Flint1979]

 I was on US-131 south of M-222 last Saturday and saw no mention of M-43. The only time I saw M-43 posted was in Kalamazoo and the control city was Hastings which is probably an old sign.

[ce929wax]

You are probably talking about the BGS mounted on the railroad bridge where Riverview/Kalamazoo Ave/ and East Michigan meet.  It is a new enough sign to be done in Clearview.

[Flint1979]

You are probably talking about the BGS mounted on the railroad bridge where Riverview/Kalamazoo Ave/ and East Michigan meet.  It is a new enough sign to be done in Clearview.

Yeah that's it.

[wanderer2575]

The latest proposal to resolve Michigan's road funding crisis:  Let's just get rid of some of them, or let them revert back to gravel.

MACKINAC ISLAND -- As Lansing struggles with having enough money to fix the state's crumbling roads, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey has a new proposal -- get rid of some of them.

"We've got too many roads," Shirkey told the Free Press in a weekend interview on Mackinac Island.

The number of lane miles in Michigan has increased significantly since 1980, at a much higher rate than the state's population, Shirkey said.

As a result, "we have way more roads per capita than most states do," and reducing the number of roads should be considered as part of a comprehensive road funding plan, he said.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/09/23/mike-shirkey-gop-return-paved-roads-gravel/2409886001/

[snarky comment] We've also got way more useless full-time legislators per capita than most states do.  [/snarky comment]

[Rothman]

It is an interesting idea.  What do you do with roads where their purpose seems to have dissipated?

[NWI_Irish96]

The latest proposal to resolve Michigan's road funding crisis:  Let's just get rid of some of them, or let them revert back to gravel.

MACKINAC ISLAND -- As Lansing struggles with having enough money to fix the state's crumbling roads, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey has a new proposal -- get rid of some of them.

"We've got too many roads," Shirkey told the Free Press in a weekend interview on Mackinac Island.

The number of lane miles in Michigan has increased significantly since 1980, at a much higher rate than the state's population, Shirkey said.

As a result, "we have way more roads per capita than most states do," and reducing the number of roads should be considered as part of a comprehensive road funding plan, he said.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/09/23/mike-shirkey-gop-return-paved-roads-gravel/2409886001/

[snarky comment] We've also got way more useless full-time legislators per capita than most states do.  [/snarky comment]

I know that travelmapping.net is not an exact set of state-maintained roads for each state, but in their database I see at least 10 states with smaller populations than Michigan but more road miles.

[jzn110]

MACKINAC ISLAND -- As Lansing struggles with having enough money to fix the state's crumbling roads, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey has a new proposal -- get rid of some of them.

"We've got too many roads," Shirkey told the Free Press in a weekend interview on Mackinac Island.

The number of lane miles in Michigan has increased significantly since 1980, at a much higher rate than the state's population, Shirkey said.

As a result, "we have way more roads per capita than most states do," and reducing the number of roads should be considered as part of a comprehensive road funding plan, he said.

"Dear Mr. President,

There are too many states nowadays. Please eliminate three.

P.S. I am not a crackpot."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5dmxBUbzBU

[Great Lakes Roads]

The I-94 at US 127/M-50 interchange in Jackson will be rebuilt into a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI). A very interesting choice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMW5qcteD1U

[zzcarp]

The I-94 at US 127/M-50 interchange in Jackson will be rebuilt into a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI). A very interesting choice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMW5qcteD1U

Why a DDI? That should be a freeway to freeway interchange, not adding stoplights.

[GaryV]

Why a DDI? That should be a freeway to freeway interchange, not adding stoplights.

It's not freeway to freeway now, for 2 reasons. 

• The southern leg (Bus US-127) is not a freeway.
  
• I-94 wb to US-127/M-50 nb has a stoplight at the end of the ramp.  This means sb US-127 has a traffic light at that ramp, before the current cloverleaf ramp to continue on US-127 sb (and I-94 eb).
  

[triplemultiplex]

Why a DDI? That should be a freeway to freeway interchange, not adding stoplights.

Because it's cheaper.

[JREwing78]

The I-94 at US 127/M-50 interchange in Jackson will be rebuilt into a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI). A very interesting choice.

Did they publish something explicitly stating that? I know they were considering it, but I'm not immediately finding info corroborating this.

Given that the ADT of US-127/West Ave isn't particularly high (about 31K north of I-94, 21K south of it), and there's not much room for putting in a flyover without running into ridiculously-expensive ROW purchases, it's a sensible choice. MDOT can later add flyover ramps if needed. At at minimum, it shouldn't make anything worse - there's no additional lights for any movement.

WisDOT is doing something similar in Janesville at the Hwy 26 interchange with I-39/90, except there are stoplights on both sides of the intersection, and considerably higher traffic. 

[Dougtone]

I visited the Portage Lake Lift Bridge (also known as the Houghton-Hancock Lift Bridge) when I drove up US 41 to the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan's Upper Peninsula in September 2018. It's a spectacular bridge. I decided to blog about it.

Take a look at the blog post here:
https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/11/portage-lake-lift-bridge.html

[sprjus4]

^

Regarding the interchange, at least the I-94 WB -> US-127 NB movement is still a free-flowing movement and is being retained.

There should at least be a flyover built between US-127 SB -> I-94 EB.

[JREwing78]

^

Regarding the interchange, at least the I-94 WB -> US-127 NB movement is still a free-flowing movement and is being retained.

There should at least be a flyover built between US-127 SB -> I-94 EB.

I don't disagree. But that's an expensive location to purchase ROW, and MDOT has bigger problems to solve with the money that building that flyover would require.

If a Toledo-to-Jackson freeway/expressway is ever built, that section of US-127 might attract enough regional traffic to warrant the flyover. But as it sits now, it just doesn't. It's part of the reason this interchange has remained in this configuration as long as it has.

Besides the decrepit I-94 overpasses, what this does is not force traffic into a tight 270º loop, then ask it to accelerate from 25 -> 70 and merge in a very short distance. It's merely terrible for cars; it's horrible for heavy trucks.

[sprjus4]

If a Toledo-to-Jackson freeway/expressway is ever built, that section of US-127 might attract enough regional traffic to warrant the flyover. But as it sits now, it just doesn't. It's part of the reason this interchange has remained in this configuration as long as it has.

If the full freeway to Toledo is ever constructed, the entire overlap with I-94 would need an overhaul and reconstruction / widening to 6-lanes, and a massive overhaul of the junction in question. The eastern one as it is seems adequate as it's fully freeway-to-freeway.

Besides the decrepit I-94 overpasses, what this does is not force traffic into a tight 270º loop, then ask it to accelerate from 25 -> 70 and merge in a very short distance. It's merely terrible for cars; it's horrible for heavy trucks.

Honestly, my thoughts on any loop ramp that dumps onto a 60-70 mph highway with only 2-lanes in one direction as it climbs uphill to make an overpass.

They should be avoided at all costs possible, or at least provide a barrier separated acceleration lane over the bridge before meeting the mainline lanes. but sadly they're still built quite frequently.

[ce929wax]

When I was in Plainwell yesterday, I saw WB M-43 being referenced on a junction sign and a standalone BGS at the SB 131 ramp in both directions.  M-43 has not made it to the overhead BGS signs or referenced on the exit sign on SB 131 north of the exit.  I do not know about NB 131 signs at the exit.

[JREwing78]

If a Toledo-to-Jackson freeway/expressway is ever built, that section of US-127 might attract enough regional traffic to warrant the flyover. But as it sits now, it just doesn't. It's part of the reason this interchange has remained in this configuration as long as it has.

If the full freeway to Toledo is ever constructed, the entire overlap with I-94 would need an overhaul and reconstruction / widening to 6-lanes, and a massive overhaul of the junction in question. The eastern one as it is seems adequate as it's fully freeway-to-freeway.

Besides the decrepit I-94 overpasses, what this does is not force traffic into a tight 270º loop, then ask it to accelerate from 25 -> 70 and merge in a very short distance. It's merely terrible for cars; it's horrible for heavy trucks.

Honestly, my thoughts on any loop ramp that dumps onto a 60-70 mph highway with only 2-lanes in one direction as it climbs uphill to make an overpass.

They should be avoided at all costs possible, or at least provide a barrier separated acceleration lane over the bridge before meeting the mainline lanes. but sadly they're still built quite frequently.

Part of the I-94 reconstruction in Jackson includes 6-laning between US-127 North and US-127 South, supposedly to be completed by 2021. That's been needed for 40 years, and they're finally getting it. It should've been extended from M-60 to Sargent Rd, but at least the most critical stretch is getting attention.

Keep in mind that the current arrangement opened to traffic in 1951 as a US-12 bypass of Jackson. Truman was president when this thing was designed, and the basic design is unchanged from that early '50s vintage roadway. Nobody foresaw in 1951 that their brand-new US-12 bypass would still be in its basic configuration 70 years later, or that over 10,000 semi trucks per day would be mixing it up with 50,000+ other vehicles on it.

[Flint1979]

Don't know how quickly this problem will be taken care of.

Last night a garbage truck slammed into the McCarty Road overpass along I-675 in Saginaw County. It sent debris all over the place and MDOT will need to inspect the bridge for structural damage.

[wanderer2575]

I don't know whether it's because of a labor shortage or other issues, but with winter upon us there apparently are a lot of unfinished roadwork projects still out there.  MDOT has issued warning notices to contractors.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9620-512281--,00.html

November 14, 2019 -- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has notified road contractors working on any project that is behind the schedule agreed to in the contract that they need to have an action plan or risk receiving a notice of default.

"Our goal at MDOT is the safe and efficient travel of people and goods," said MDOT Director Paul C. Ajegba.  "We value the workers building and repairing our roads, and it is vital that we ensure the taxpayers that the department is providing robust oversight and that contracts are enforced."

Contractors were notified on dozens of projects on highways under state jurisdiction (I, M, and US routes).

Each contractor has been asked to submit an updated progress schedule within 48 hours.  Contractors are also asked to include a narrative on how their company plans to avoid further delays and get back on schedule.

Also, the contractors are being notified that failure to provide an updated progress schedule and mitigation plan by the requested date may result in notice of default with the contractor being required to pay any costs above the original contract price.

[Ryctor2018]

It's weather related. The early winter weather has slowed down road construction in Michigan (and other states as well): https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/11/14/cold-delays-completion-highway-work-interstate-75-north-detroit/4188799002/

[wanderer2575]

Keep in mind that the current arrangement opened to traffic in 1951 as a US-12 bypass of Jackson. Truman was president when this thing was designed, and the basic design is unchanged from that early '50s vintage roadway. Nobody foresaw in 1951 that their brand-new US-12 bypass would still be in its basic configuration 70 years later, or that over 10,000 semi trucks per day would be mixing it up with 50,000+ other vehicles on it.

I think more specifically, what nobody foresaw in 1951 was the coming of the Interstate highway system with its advanced (for its time) design standards a mere dozen years later, for which Michigan was (understandably?) reluctant to abandon relatively new roads.  One can argue that Michigan's "good roads" push to build bypasses and divided highways just before the Interstate highway era began is what has made many trunklines hopelessly obsolete now.  Once the need for re-improvement finally reared its head, the funding wasn't there or other obstacles were (environmental, ROW. etc.).

[ftballfan]

It's weather related. The early winter weather has slowed down road construction in Michigan (and other states as well): https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/11/14/cold-delays-completion-highway-work-interstate-75-north-detroit/4188799002/

What these articles forget to mention is the late start many projects got due to snow sticking around later than usual (in northern Michigan and the UP, major projects couldn't start up until early to mid May while downstate projects couldn't start until mid April)

[wanderer2575]

Pavement removal and replacement needed on portions of the I-75 modernization project in Oakland County

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9620-513321--,00.html

November 26, 2019 -- Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) inspection teams working on Segment 2 of the I-75 modernization project in Oakland County discovered the incorrect concrete mix was used recently on portions of the project, including the left two lanes of northbound I-75 from 13 1/2 Mile to 14 Mile roads, and the shoulders on the exit ramps to Big Beaver and Rochester roads.  Due to this discovery, contractor paving crews will remove and replace those affected portions before all paving is completed in late 2020.  Currently, both directions of I-75 are sharing the southbound side of the freeway, separated by a temporary concrete barrier between 13 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway.  Two lanes are open in each direction.

"This is inspectors doing their jobs," said MDOT Metro Region Engineer Kimberly Avery.  "The pavement designated for replacement is safe for drivers to use, but the long-term durability is compromised and the reason for our actions."

Contractor crews began removing the shoulder on a portion of the Rochester Road ramp this past weekend and have already replaced the pavement.  Replacement of the left lanes from 13 1/2 Mile to 14 Mile roads and the remainder of the shoulder pavement on the ramps will be delayed until next year during the final year of the overall project.

In 2020, both directions of I-75 will be sharing the new northbound pavement in order to allow crews to rebuild the southbound lanes between Coolidge Highway and 13 Mile Road.  Engineers have determined that this section is safe for drivers to use over the winter months.   

"This direction is the equivalent to enforcing a warranty," Avery said.  "This action does not add additional costs to the contract and protects the taxpayer investment in the future."